Focus: Localization
Interactive Lesson
Tips & Examples
Many countries have foods and drinks that can only be found in that country. Because of that, there are no specific English words for those expressions, so candidates will have to explain them in English. For example, the Vietnamese meal "Phở bò" has no specific English word to describe it. In this situation, the speaker would have to say something like the following:
"A famous meal from my country is Phở bò, which is a soup made of rice noodles, beef, and vegetables. It's similar to beef noodle soup in the USA."
"In China, we like to eat 小笼包, which are steamed doe balls filled with either pork or crab. It’s neat to see them cooked, because they are cooked in a little bamboo steam basket. If you get the chance, I recommend trying them.”
“Germans enjoy eating a dish called Leberkäse, which doesn’t really have a specific English word to describe it. It’s a meat similar to bologna and consists of ground beef, pork, and bacon. It’s served with an egg on top and as we say in German, it tastes heavenly.”
Example Questions and Answers
What kind of food do you like?
Example Answer 1
“I like all foods. However, I’d have to say that I crave Italian food the most. In particular, pizza. I eat very cheesy pizza almost every meal. When I was a kid, I was a picky eater and it took me a long time to acquire a taste for anything else."
Example Answer 2
“I can only eat Asian food. Noodles, rice, dumplings. I never really acquired a taste for western food. In fact, I can’t stomach it. Although, I'm starting to like some Western-Asian fusion foods that are becoming popular such as Asian pizza.”
What’s your main meal of the day?
Example Answer 1
“My main meal is lunch. I am pretty lazy so I usually skip breakfast. By the time lunch comes around, I’m hungry as a horse. My wife will pack me a big lunch, and if I’m still hungry I go pig out at the shop close to my work.”
Example Answer 2
“Oh, piece of cake. Breakfast, by far. If I don’t have a big breakfast, I will be starving by 11am. My stomach starts growling quite easy and my coworkers will complain if they hear it.”
Do you normally eat out or cook at home?
Example Answer 1
“Oh, that depends on the occasion, really. If it’s a special occasion like a celebration, then I prefer to go somewhere with trained chefs that cook some gourmet foods to perfection. If it’s just a normal night, then I prefer to stay home and eat a nice, nutritious home-cooked meal.”
Example Answer 2
“Cooking takes too long so I usually eat out every meal. I have to watch what I eat and exercise to not get fat, but I feel the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. I'm not very health conscious when I eat out.”
On what occasions do you eat special meals?
Example Answer 1
“Only during festivals. For example, during the moon festival we often eat moon cakes. I don’t have a palate for them. They’re pretty disgusting to be honest.”
Additional questions you might see.
What is your favorite dish?
What is your favorite flavor of food?
Has your favorite food changed over time?
* Remember, the IELTS exam is constantly changing. You will need to make sure you are confident talking about all subjects.